Christmas is just around the corner and whether you play “All I Want For Christmas Is You” like there is no tomorrow or you are not too very fond of the holiday as a whole, there are songs that, when performed accordingly, simply pull one’s heartstrings. Well, 2020 was a very hard year for us all, but if there is something good that came out of it, it can certainly be Carrie Underwood and her rendition of “O Holy Night.”
Underwood released “O Holy Night” as part of her 2020 Christmas album My Gift, released on September 25. Referencing Celine Dion’s version of the sacred song – because why wouldn’t her -, Underwood delivers a stunning performance, accompanied by a piano and surrounded by a moving orchestral arrangement made by David Campbell. Campbell has also arranged music for Elton John, Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, and Billy Joel, among a plethora of international artists.
“I got the incredible gift of getting to sing these inspirational, happy, joyful, hopeful songs in the middle of the year,” Underwood told Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb during a TODAY appearance, according to NBC. “It was different, but it gave me so much peace to be able to go into the studio and record these songs.”
Guthrie called “O Holy Night” her favorite Christmas hymn, and I would have to agree with Guthrie on this one. I don’t know if it is the melody, the accompaniment, or the lyrics of this song, but it just moves me deeply, especially if it is performed by a singer like Carrie Underwood. Her sustain and her power when hitting the high notes of the song take my breath away.
A Moving Live Performance
And well, the recording in itself is breathtaking, but her appearance at The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and her subsequent live performance of the song is even better. It is one thing to deliver a pristine technical performance of a song but to be able to transmit the message conveyed in it and make it your own is something that transcends beyond what a voice can do. And I think Underwood did just that, with many listeners feeling the same way.
“She is a true believer. You hear it in her voice…. praise God,” one user wrote. “That is a masterclass in singing,” a second user said. “She projects so clearly from that far from the mic, hits the pitch perfectly, then proceeds to hold said pitch for multiple measures.” A third one said: “She will go down as one of the greatest vocalists of all time! Her voice is a gift from God! Absolutely stunning!”
And while I’m very fond of other performances such as Jennifer Hudson’s or Andrea Bocelli’s, it is safe to say that Carrie Underwood and her version of “O Holy Night” is now part of my playlist of those Christmas songs that you play when you get a bit emotional and just need to shed a tear or two. Not tears of sadness, though, but joy.
